Richard Gomez new Ormoc City mayor
Actor and Athlete Richard Gomez won as mayor of Ormoc City in Leyte after several years of attempting to enter the different world of politics.
He won having 53, 234 votes (54.2%) against Ondo Codilla with 44, 453 votes (45.2%), according to the date given by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), the 50-year-old actor-turned-politician, Richard Gomez bags the mayoral position under Nacionalist People’s Coalition.
After several tries to win an elective post, this is Gomez’s first victory. In 2007, he joined the senatorial race, but he lost. In 2010, he ran for a seat in the House of Representatives, he was disqualified because of his residency. In 2013, he lost as mayor by a slim margin of less than 3,000 votes against Edward Codilla.
His proclamation was made early Tuesday morning, May 10 in front of the Commission on Election (COMELEC) board of canvassers.
"We have to [stop acting], because if I win as mayor, it is a full-time job,” Gomez said in a media interview.
"This will be the priority. And I've spoken to ABS-CBN about it. I have contracts remaining there, and, sabi ko (I said), next time na lang yon,” he added.
Last year, he said he needed to run to support his wife, Lucy Torres-Gomez.
"Nagkaroon lang ng complications. ‘Yung opponent namin biglang nagkaroon ng lakas ng loob na tumakbo na mag-asawa. Yung sa Ormoc, yung sa district ni Lucy (Torres, his wife), has the biggest voting population. Walang gustong tumakbo na mayor so sabi ko hindi pwedeng walang tatakbo sa Ormoc. So I stood up and I took the challenge. Hindi rin pwede iwanan si Lucy na walang kakampi na mayor sa Ormoc," he said.
He also said that his decision to run entails sacrifices on his part.
"It was a big decision on my part to do that kasi ang daming sacrifices na dapat gawin. 'Yung trabaho dito sa movies at sa TV definitely masasacrifice. In fact all throughout bago mag-filing, buong puso ko na alam ko hindi ako magfafile, hindi ako tatakbo," the actor said.
"I feel sad cause mababawasan yung magiging trabaho sa showbiz. But at the same time, you’ll never know kung ano ang mangyayari sa akin kung palaain kung maging mayor ako ng Ormoc. One day, I’ll make sure na kayo (the press people) pupunta doon. Marami tayong gagawin doon," Richard Gomez added.
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Source: KAMI.com.gh
